DHHS says municipal water is safe

New Hanover County officials had questions for state regulators Monday morning about GenX contamination, and one of the answers they got might put people worried about the state of their drinking water at ease.

In a conference call, local public health officials made inquiries about the health risks of GenX that were not answered by the state in Friday’s release of information. The NC Department of Health and Human Services provided health officials with responses to these questions Monday afternoon.

Specifically, DHHS clarified it does not recommend that the general population or specific groups stop using municipal water based on the following information:

Levels of GenX in the most recent samples of finished drinking water are near or below the health goal (based on a lifetime of exposure to the most vulnerable population).

The levels of GenX are trending downward.

Releases from Chemours are being mitigated.

A full list of the state’s answers can be viewed in the following PDF.

In Brunswick County on Monday, commissioners received a similar update on the county's drinking water after the state informed them that GenX levels were "around 19-20 parts per trillion" at the Northwest Water Treatment Plant.

According to the DHHS, levels of GenX below 140 ppt should not lead to adverse health effects on humans over a lifetime of exposure to the chemical.